Calling All Freaks
by Max452
Summary: Terminal City gets a new transgenic with a strange gift.
1. Default Chapter

Calling All Freaks

Title: Calling All Freaks

Author: Max Tyler (a.k.a. Max452)

Email: Max_01_09@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Dark Angel Seasons 1 & 2. Dark Angel: Before The Dawn, Dark Angel: Skin Game, and Dark Angel: After the Dark by Max Allan Collins.

****

Disclaimer: _I do not own any Dark Angel people or places. They all belong to James Cameron and Fox Entertainment. I do not make any money off this, it's strictly for enjoyment._

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Seattle, Washington

May 27, 2020

It had been awhile since she had split up from the rest of the kids she had been traveling with. They all had cell phones, and promised to keep in touch, though. Manticore had made them loners at heart, so togetherness bothered them after awhile.

Kylie had said goodbye to the other six that had escaped with her when Manticore went down. Darien, Stormy, Kara, Andy , Chaise, and Joss. Four X5's- Stormy, Darien, Kara, and Chaise, and two X6's- Joss and Andy. And her, another freak.

A seemingly normal freak, like the X series, yes, but a freak all the same.

Kylie was a medium, she could see and communicate with ghosts. Manticore had done radical things with her brain to make her what she was. What they did, she couldn't even imagine.

Anyway, Kylie was now making a pilgrimage to Seattle, Washington to see some more of her extended Manticore "family." 

Thanks to the news, Terminal City was now widely known as a home to the transgenics of Seattle. So she was headed there.

She ignored everyone, human or ghost. 

Until she felt a familiar sensation.

Unbeknownst to Manticore, Kylie had discovered that when she came into contact with a transgenic ghost, she would get a warning beforehand that would let her know that one was nearby.

Her barcode would tingle, as if the flesh had fallen asleep.

She referred to it sarcastically as her "spider-sense". 

She was feeling it right now.

She turned slowly, her jet-black hair which she had recently streaked with electric pink stripes, brushing against her face.

She noticed a transparent young man standing outside the Space Needle. As she stepped closer, the tingling grew stronger. Yep, it was him.

Kylie glanced around to make sure no one was watching her, "Hey."

The ghost, unfamiliar to her, stared, "Are you talking to me?"

He had a angular face with short brown hair, and pale green eyes. He looked normal, so unless he was one of Manticore's random experiments, like her, he had probably been one of the X series.

"Yeah. It's kinda hard to explain... well, maybe not. One word, Manticore." she said.

"Oh, so you're a fellow freak." the boy said 

"Yeah. I'm Kylie." she leaned against the Space Needle, watching him.

"I'm Seth... well, kind of." he muttered 

"So what happened?" Kylie asked.

"Huh?" 

"How did you die? If you don't mind me asking?" 

"Fell off the Space Needle," Seth said, the frowned, "No, I let go, because Lydecker was coming, and I wasn't going back."

"Oh, that's why your name sounds familiar. You were one of the twelve X5's that escaped ten years ago, right?" Kylie was intrigued.

"Yeah. Me, Zack, Max, Jondy, Syl, Krit, Zane, Ben, Tinga, Brin, and the others. Regular fugitives," he snorted, "And now Tinga, Ben and I are dead."

"You knew 'bout that?" Kylie asked curiously. Tinga's death had been caused by Manticore's last head honcho, a blond bitch named Elizabeth Renfro. Happily now deceased.

"Hey I'm dead. I know _everything._" he said jokingly. 

"So why are you still here?" Kylie asked casually, stretching, staring at the gray Seattle sky.

"What do you mean?" Seth frowned again.

"Well, the ghosts I've talked to seem to have stayed here either because they had something they didn't do while they were here... unfinished business. Or they are angry and don't want to go. Which one are you, Seth?"

He was silent for a long while, "Both...I guess. There was a lot more I wanted to do before I died, and I was angry that Lydecker made me go before I got to do it."

Kylie nodded, "Understandable. I'm sorry Seth."

"Yeah," the X5 waved away her sympathy, "What are you doing here in Seattle anyway?"

"Came to see the rest of the family."

"What, at Terminal City?"

She nodded.

"Will you do me a favor?" 

"Sure." 

"The one that's in charge. It's Max, the one the escaped with me ten years ago. Would you tell her hi for me, and tell her I don't blame her for what went down the night I died."

She nodded again.

"Thanks."

"Maybe I'll see you later." she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll be here."

******************************************************************************

So she wandered through Seattle, as it started to rain. Shivering, she pulled a hooded sweatshirt out of her backpack and slipped it on.

As she did, she caught a glimpse of someone behind her.

She spun as the person tried to disappear, but wasn't quick enough. Kylie scurried over.

It was Joss.

"Hey." the fifteen-year-old X6 said with a half smile, as she tossed back her shoulder length golden-blond hair, which she wore in loose curls.

Kylie put her hands on her hips, "Not to sound rude or anything, but what in the hell are you doin' here?"

Joss tried an innocent smile, "Uh, happened to be in the neighborhood?"

"Try again."

She stared at the ground, digging a toe of her worn sneaker into the dirt, "Uh Darien sent me to keep a eye on you?"

Kylie nodded, "That's what I thought."

"Well hey, he's right ya know. I've been following you ever since we split up, and you just now noticed. We've had training Kylie, you haven't."

"Well, in case Dari hasn't noticed, I'm a big girl, twenty-one years old. I tie my own shoes and everything," Kylie said, "So you can be on your merry way."

Joss gave her a smirk, "Yeah right, and then when Darien finds out, he can break my legs. No thanks, I like being able to walk."

No, Darien wasn't a tyrant, merely protective. He thought Kylie needed baby-sitting because she had no training, nor the X series' specialized abilities.

"Nope, I'm going wherever you are." Joss said sweetly, crossing her arms and staring at the older girl defiantly. 

"Fine. _We're _going to Terminal City." Kylie replied, hitching her backpack higher on her shoulders. 

"Whatever." 

******************************************************************************

"Hey Max, look." 

Max lifted her eyes to the voice. Luke, of course. He was pointing to the monitors that showed the gates of Terminal City.

"Whatchu got?" Max asked, climbing the stairs.

"Two girls coming through the gate."

Max studied the monitor, "Think their transgenics?"

Luke shrugged, "Dunno. I guess. What would ordinaries be doing here? Besides Logan, Original Cindy, and Sketchy?"

Max nodded, "Okay, I'll go check."

*****************************************************************************

Max, stepping amongst the ruins of old cars and other junk, quickly made her way to where the two other girls were.

One appeared to be about Max's age, the other around sixteen. The older one had chin length jet black hair with bright electric pink streaks. She had pale skin, and odd-colored eyes, the color of twilight. An odd shade of purple and blue. 

The younger one had shoulder length curly gold blond hair, skin dusted with a light tan, and wide emerald green eyes.

They both stopped when they saw Max emerge from the dark.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Max asked

"We need a invitation to the family reunion?" Kylie asked cheerfully. She brushed aside her hair to reveal her barcode.

"Ah." Max said.

"I'm Kylie. This is Joss."

"Yo, wassup?" Joss raised her hand in a mock salute.

"I'm Max." Max said warmly.

"Oh, really? The one that escaped in 09'?" Kylie asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. Why?" Max asked cautiously.

Kylie smiled, "Your brother Seth says hi."


	2. Chapter 2 Helping A Brother

Max took a cautious step backward, "How the hell do you know 'bout Seth? He's been dead for almost three years."

Joss glanced at Kylie, "Ah, been talkin' to another one of our special siblings, have you?"

She nodded, her eyes still focused on Max.

"What is she talking about?" Max asked, tipping her head towards Joss.

"I was one of Manticore's little random experiments. They must've did radical things to my brain, what, they never explained it to me. They were trying to create what they got..."

Max stared at her, "Which is?"

"I'm a medium. I see and talk to ghosts." she said with a shrug.

Max looked at her, mouth agape. 

"Yeah, that's basically the reaction we gave her, too. But she knew things back at Manticore that only dead X5's, or in my case, X6's, should know." Joss said with a half-smile.

"Anyway, on the way here, by the Space Needle, I saw Seth, and see said to tell you hello. And that he didn't blame you for what happened the night he died," Kylie said, "Whatever that means."

Max stood still, her dark eyes gleaming wetly for a moment. Then she blinked the tears away.

"Thanks." she said.

"Oh, and by the way, did you know Jack and Eva, too?" Kylie asked innocently.

Max reacted as if she had been sucker-punched, "Yeah...but they died a long time ago. Back at Manticore."

"They talked about you and the others. Wonders how you doing. Eva talks more that Jack." 

"He does get angry sometimes though. If I was him, I'd be pissed all the time." 

"Why?" Max asked.

"If somebody murdered me, hacked my body up for research purposes because I had _seizures, _I'd be pretty mad. Wouldn't you?"

"Holy shit. You are a medium." Max said in awe.

"Damn straight." Kylie replied with a grin.

******************************************************************************

Max went back through the door, Kylie and Joss following her. 

"Hey guys, say hi to our newest family members. Kylie..."

"Hi." Kylie said, waving cheerfully.

"And Joss." 

"Yo everyone." Joss gave the crowd the same mock salute that she had given Max earlier. 

Another smart ass, Max thought. Just like her.

Joshua, the lovable dog-boy, came up to their side, "Hi, I'm Joshua. You X5, like Max?"

Kylie smiled at him, "No Joshua, I was just a experiment."

"And I'm an X6." Joss added.

"What kind of experiment? Like me?" Joshua was openly curious.

"Kind of. Only they did stuff with my brain. I'm a medium." 

Joshua looked at her, confused, "What's a medium?"

"She can see and talk to ghosts... dead people." Joss explained.

"Like... my Annie?" Joshua asked slowly.

Max was aghast, "Hey Big Fella, no."

"Who's Annie?" Kylie asked.

Max took Kylie by the arm and led her aside, talking in a low tone so Joshua couldn't overhear.

"Her name was Annie Fisher...she was a human, a blind woman who Josh met a few months ago. He fell in love with her, and even when she found out what he was, she didn't care. She knew what was in his heart, and she loved him for it. But the guy who's been hunting down the transgenics..."

"Ames White, it was on the news." Kylie said, listening with heavy heart. She had a feeling where this story where was going.

"Well, one day, Josh was outside with Annie, and some guys attacked him. Joshua went down in the sewers with Annie, and the guys called the cops...who called in White. Annie told Joshua to get out, because if they caught him, well, you know what would happen. She thought a cop would find her, and she'd be fine. Well, unfortunately, Ames White found her, snapped her neck. To blame it on Joshua."

"Poor guy." Kylie glanced over at the towering, seemingly beast-like man. 

"Yeah. He loved her so much. Right after, he came here." Max said softly.

"Well, if you don't care, I really don't mind looking to see... if she's there." Kylie spoke hesitantly, not wanting to step on the X5's toes.

Max looked over at Joshua, who had obviously had that idea in mind. She sighed.

"I guess it's all right. What can it hurt?"

"Okay. You coming?"

"Sure. In case my Big Fella needs me."

******************************************************************************

So they were about to leave to the sewers, Joshua, Joss, Max, and Kylie, when a familiar, handsome figure passed by. Alec.

"Hey I know you. I saw you in neuropsychology." Kylie said, noticing Alec.

Max's glance went back and forth, "Why were you guys in neuropsychology?"

Kylie's smile was brief, "Hey, you say that you see and talk to soldiers that are supposed to be dead, you're gonna spend time there."

Alec stared hard at black haired girl, with her the bright pink streaks. She could see and talk to the dead? She must've been a medium.

There was only one thought in his mind.

Rachel.

Max focused on her blond friend, "And you?"

Alec was looking at Kylie still, though, as he spoke, "Because I, along with thirteen other X5's, were considered to be at "high risk" for aberrant behavior, and were sent there for reindoctrination," he gave her a half-smile, "I'm sure you can't imagine why."

"Because you guys were our twins?" Max asked.

"Congratulations Max, you win the daily double." Alec replied, somewhat sarcastically.

"Sorry." she said quietly.

Kylie gave Alec a look, "Hey, I bet she gets bitched at a lot because they escaped. But you know what?"

"What?"

"I bet some of you are just pissed 'cause you didn't have the balls to try what she and her group did." Kylie said, placing her hands on her hips. 

For once, Alec was speechless.

"Let's go." Kylie said to the other three.

Leaving Alec staring after the medium, his unasked question burning on his lips.

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The quartet reached the spot where Joshua had left his human love months before quickly. 

Max could see the pain on her big friend's face, this was the reason she didn't want this to happen.

She didn't want Joshua to hurt.

Kylie looked around the dark, dank place. Wisely breathing through her mouth.

But she saw no one.

Slowly, she turned to Joshua, admitting defeat.

"I'm sorry Joshua. She must not have stayed on here." Kylie spoke softly, putting a gentle hand on the giant man's shoulder.

"What-what do you mean?" Joshua asked, his light blue eyes watery with unshed tears.

"You see, usually they only stay on Earth if they have unfinished business, or they're angry or something like that." Kylie tried to explain.

"You'd think getting murdered would be unfinished business? That's what you thought about Jack and Eva back at Manticore." Joss said.

Kylie shook her head, "She must've trusted you, Joshua, to avenge her murder."

"And you did Josh." Max said softly. He had literally ripped Ames White's head off. 

Joshua nodded, and the tears finally spilled over on the dog-man's face, "Joshua understands."

"It's okay Big Fella." Max said, wrapping him a warm embrace.

They stayed like that for a long moment, a strange picture.

"Thanks Little Fella." he replied.

"We should probably get back." Max spoke reluctantly.

He nodded.

"Come on Big Fella. We'll go home, and you can show Joss and Kylie your paintings." Max said with forced cheer.

"You paint Joshua? I'd love to see them. Let's go." Kylie took his hand, and they started back to Terminal City.


	3. Chapter 3 Alec Uncovered

Joss leaned back in the battered lawn chair she was sitting in, watching Max trying to teach Kylie the fine art of self-defense.

She chuckled to herself as she watched the two older girls fight. Well, actually, it was Max, kicking Kylie's ass.

Suddenly, the handsome blond X5 they met the first day they arrived, Alec, came into view.

Both of the girls stopped. Neither of them had broken a sweat, or were breathing hard.

Max eyed him, "What is it Alec?"

"Dix and Luke need you, something's wrong with the water supply again. They're in the command room," Alec said, he glanced at Kylie. "What in the hell have you been doing to her?"

"Manticore never gave her any training, so I've been giving her some pointers," Max nodded at the girl, "I'll see ya later?"

"Sure."

Max left.

Alec opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it.

Joss was watching, "Something on your mind?"

"Can I talk to Kylie alone?" he asked, staring at her pointedly.

A small smile spread across her face, and she shook her head, "Nope, sorry. Can't do. A friend of ours would kick my ass, 'cause I'm her bodyguard."

Hell, she loved annoying people.

He let out a small breath, "Fine," he turned to Kylie, "I was wondering, if you could do me a favor?"

Kylie was instantly suspicious, "What kind of 'favor'?" 

His green eyes locked on hers, "The kind of favor you did for Joshua."

She exhaled, "I don't think Max would be too happy with me. She didn't seem too thrilled about looking for Annie's ghost."

He ran a hand through his longish dark blond hair, "Please... if she still around, I have to know if she forgave me. If she understood that... I loved her, and that I never meant to hurt her."

Joss was listening to this tale with rapt fascination.

Kylie's face was serious, "Who exactly is this, and what happened? And you have to tell me, the truth, or I won't even consider helping you."

Something very close to pain flashed over Alec's handsome face.

"Back when I was at Manticore, it was my first deep-cover mission. My assignment was to get information on the billionaire Robert Barrisford, the CEO of Mercidyne Genetics. They were into gene splicing, and one of Manticore's sub-contractors. Barrisford had been asking questions about Manticore, and they decided he needed surveillance...hence, me. I went in, used a cover, I was a piano teacher named Simon Lehane, I taught Berrisford's daughter, Rachel. But as time went by... I fell in love with her. I got the information Manticore wanted, they decided that they wanted him taken out... along with Rachel. I was going to kill Berrisford, even put a bomb under the car, but I lost the nerve. I couldn't kill Rachel's father... so I told Rachel the truth, and she freaked. Ran to tell her father to get out of the car, and the car exploded. Manticore knew I had weakened, so they decided to do the job for me. Only Berrisford didn't get killed. He was out of the car, thanks to Rachel. Only she wasn't so lucky. She got hit on the head by something in the blast, and it put her in a coma. She died a few months ago."

He swallowed hard, looking away.

Joss stared at her hands, no longer finding the story fascinating. It was sad, and another way how Manticore had hurt one of them.

Kylie had listened to Alec's story without interruption, her own eyes glistening as if she could feel his pain.

She tucked back her hair, hesitantly reached out, and took his hand, "Okay. Call me a sucker, but I feel for you."

Alec didn't dare raise his eyes, for fear that he would lose it like he did that night in Rachel's room, and start crying. 

"There might be a slight problem though." he said quietly.

"What?"

"Berrisford wanted me dead. He told me never to come back. Although he couldn't do it last time..."

"We'll be careful." Kylie said, through an edge of uncertainty broke through.

"And I'm coming with you." Joss said.

"Oh, no you're not." Alec replied, tossing a glance at the younger girl.

She smiled, one of those wicked smiles that only females seemed capable of giving, "Oh yeah? Well maybe I'll let it slip to Max that you guys are going slumming."

He stared at her for a beat, "You are one wicked little..."

She beamed, "Really? You think? Thanks."

******************************************************************************

They waited a few days. 

Joss had "procured" herself a motorcycle, a Ducati, almost like Darien had, only Joss had tweaked hers to make it go even faster than it was originally designed for.

She loved going fast, the roads blurring to nonexistence beneath her. So she was thrilled to score the bike. Right now, she was sitting right outside the gates of Terminal City, waiting for Alec and Kylie.

"You guys ready to go?" she asked, perched on the bike. She had been out all night, riding, 'cause she hated being cooped up.

Alec had a bike of his own, a green Harley. Not as fast as her own, but still pretty kick-ass. Kylie was gonna ride double with him over to Berrisford's.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyone ever tell you that you need a Valium?" Alec muttered, gunning the motor.

As a reply, because she was feeling so mature, she stuck out her tongue, and peeled off, Alec at her heels.

******************************************************************************

"Holy shit, this is Berrisford's house?" Joss asked, green eyes wide as she took in the mansion.

"Yeah. I told you he was a billionaire." Alec said shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, why we're here, how 'bout we score ourselves a TV or stereo system or something?" Joss suggested.

To that, Kylie slapped her on the head.

"Ow. Hey, I was just sayin', look he's got more money than Jesus. What would he care if we took a television or two?" Joss said, as she rubbed her head.

Alec was torn in two ways as he listened to the girl talk. It hurt to hear someone talk about ripping off Rachel's house, but on the other hand, the kid sounded so much like him, he wanted to laugh.

"On three. One-two-three." Alec whispered.

With the cat-like grace that was evident in their every move, they jumped the fence in a single bound.

"Okay. Now where?" Kylie asked Alec.

With hand signals, he made it clear where they needed to go.

Rachel's room. Where she had laid, in a coma, for years. Where she had died.

Slowly, silently Joss picked the lock on the door. They went inside, the house was dark, no lights on. 

Thanks to their enhanced genes though, they could easily see through the gloom.

Turning to Alec, she mouthed

__

Does he have an alarm?

Alec nodded, and after a moments tampering, it was disabled.

Again using hand signals, they climbed the curved marble staircase that Alec remembered all too well.

__

"Simon, you're hurting me."

He remembered her sweet voice, and shook his head to clear it.

A few more feet, and... a light flickered at the end of the hallway.

He opened the door to Rachel's room, and the trio went quickly inside, shutting the door silently behind them.


	4. Chapter 4 RachelKylie

Rachel's room was slightly illuminated by the full moon outside. That was good, they could see without having to turn on the lights...

Alec turned his face toward Kylie, who was crouching with Joss over by the bed.

Despite the fact that Rachel had been dead for six-and-half months, it hadn't changed at all. The pink bedspread was still in place, immaculate. Rachel's various cosmetics still lined her pink-and-white vanity. Her clothes still remained in the drawers and in the closet...

The only thing missing was Rachel herself.

He swiped at his eyes, and asked Kylie quietly, "Can you see her?"

Kylie, who was still crouching, nodded.

Alec went dead-still, his eyes wide, "She's here?"

Kylie nodded again, "She's on the bed... are you gonna talk to her?"

Alec stepped closer to the bed, unsure of what to do. He glanced at Kylie, his face a mask of misery, "I can't see her..."

"Rachel." he said softly.

******************************************************************************

Kylie gazed at the beautiful, ethereal girl lying on the pink bed, She had luminous green eyes, and long dark hair, and the look she gave Alec was full of love.

Alec's face was full of pain as he tried to see the invisible.

That made up her mind for her.

She had an idea, one she had never thought of trying before.

"Alec, hold on. I have a idea." Kylie said slowly. She didn't know if it was a good idea, or if it would work. And if it did work, she didn't know if she could come back.

But she had to try...

She climbed onto the bed, next to Rachel's specter.

Joss stared at her suspiciously, "Kylie, what are you doing?"

"Helping a friend out." Kylie said almost inaudibly, and she slipped into Rachel Berrisford's ghost.

"No!" Joss yelled, realizing what was happening, but she was too late.

Kylie opened her eyes, but they were no longer the color of twilight. Instead they were a pale, radiant green.

She stared past Joss, and focused on Alec, and smiled. "Hey Simon."


	5. Chapter 5 Caught

Alec's face showed a mix of emotions. Love, hope, sorrow, pity, guilt, confusion, all of these were written there.

She sat up, and Alec, stiffly, like a sleepwalker, went to her side.

"Rachel?" his voice was soft, nearly inaudible, and it almost broke. Kylie/Rachel nodded.

"Oh my god. Rachel, I missed you so much. I'm so sorry." his voice choked with the tears that finally overran his defenses.

Rachel bestowed him with a gentle smile, "I know. I couldn't talk that night you came to visit me, but I could hear, and I forgave you... Alec."

He embraced her tightly, "How'd ya know my name was Alec?"

"This girl, Kylie? She told me." Rachel replied.

"Speaking of 'the girl' when are getting outta her?" Joss asked, reminding the other two that she was still in the room.

Joss was seriously freaked out by this. She wanted Kylie back. 

Alec's handsome face cracked as he realized for the first time that Rachel would only be here for a moment. 

She was gone. Rachel was dead.

She was buried in the cold hard ground eight miles away from this huge mansion.

******************************************************************************

This was the oddest experience Kylie had ever had in her entire strange little life.

When she allowed Rachel Berrisford access into her body, she had no idea what to expect. 

It felt like someone with a powerful hand had grabbed her brain and squeezed. Then Kylie was watching herself, well, actually it was Rachel, now, converse with Alec and Joss.

It was like watching yourself on television.

Minus the brain-squeezing.

But as she listened to Joss ask when Rachel was getting out of Kylie's body, and she saw the look on Alec's face, she knew she never should have allowed it to happen.

The look on the handsome X5's face said he was stepping closer to hell than he was before she had made her decision.

__

Can I talk to him Rachel? She asked the girl who was currently occupying her body.

__

Go ahead. And the girl relinquished control to Kylie.

"Alec, it's me Kylie,"

"Kylie, thank god you're back." Joss said fervently.

"Shut up for a second." Kylie said to Joss, gesturing to a defeated-looking Alec.

"Alec, I know you're hurting, but just listen to me." Kylie tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away from her touch as if it was scalding.

"It was stupid of me to do this. Thought it would magically make it all better." he muttered.

"Alec..."

"Leave me alone." he said.

Suddenly, Joss who had been sitting cross-legged on the floor, snapped upright. "Somebody's coming."

But the warning came too late. The door burst open to reveal several beefy men, presumably security guards, with semi-automatic rifles.

"All right, get down slowly. Nice and easy now... Put your hands up."

The trio pretended like they were going to obey, slowly getting down on their knees. But at the last second, they jumped back up, Alec and Joss charging at them.

They might've made it, except one gunman got off two lucky rounds, both of which hit Joss. She went down, hard.

"Joss!" Kylie screamed, watching the younger girl take the bullets to the abdomen and calf.

She got back up though, as two of the guards grabbed the distracted Alec, and the other snagged Kylie.

"Go Joss, go!" Alec yelled, though he didn't know if the girl could even walk.

She limped to the window, and with considerable effort, leaped through it.

"Goddamn it, she's gettin' away." one the guards snarled.

He grabbed his radio, "This is Kaufman, one of the transgenics got loose. See if you can catch it on the grounds."

How'd they know they were transgenics?

Kylie decided to keep her mouth shut for now.

"Simon Lehane?"

Alec glared, "Yeah, what's it to you?" 

He was rewarded with a vicious slap across his face. But thanks to their enhanced genes, it barely rocked him.

Kylie twisted back towards the bed, where Rachel was watching all of this with wide, sad eyes.

"Is this Mr. Berrisford's idea?" Alec asked

"Shut up!" the guard snapped, and hit Alec on the head with the pistol, tearing scalp and drawing blood.

Kylie looked at Rachel, "Rachel, come here. Let's join together again, and maybe we can both talk to your father."

Rachel looked hesitant, but she finally got to her feet, "Fine. I hope my father will listen."

As Kylie steeled herself for the joining, she whispered to herself, "I hope so too."

******************************************************************************

Joss landed on the lawn with a groan, agony flaring through her body. She had been hit, twice. Once in the abdomen, once in the calf. The wounds were seriously going to hinder her chances of getting back to Terminal City, and getting help. She checked her cell phone, but it was damaged when she did her leap out of Rachel Berrisford's window.

Stifling another groan, she heard the static of radios, and knew that more guards were coming. Holding her hand over the bullet wound in the side of abdomen, trying to staunch the blood, she limped towards her motorcycle, almost dragging her wounded left leg.

As she pulled herself onto the bike, she heard a man shout, "There's the other one!"

With a gasp of pain, Joss gunned the engine, and took off.

******************************************************************************

"Kaufman, the other transgenic escaped. Repeat, the third transgenic escaped."

Alec grinned, as he wiped blood from his eyes, "Too fast for ya? Maybe you guys should go on a diet."

For that remark, he got a fist buried deep in his ribs. Alec dropped to his knees, coughing.

While silently, unnoticed, Kylie was blending with the late Rachel Berrisford.

She let out a small gasp when the transfer was complete.

Alec, concerned, turned to her, "Kylie?"

"It's me Alec." Rachel opened Kylie's eyes, which were now a jade green.

"Rachel. What's going on? Why did you and Kylie blend, or whatever you two do." Alec was confused.

"So I can talk to my father," Rachel said, and she touched his face softly, the wounds on his face, "So I can get you outta here."

******************************************************************************

Joss drove into the gates of Terminal City, barely holding onto consciousness.

She heard pounding footsteps, and realized foggily that they had seen her on the security cameras. That was good, she could lay down right here...

She fell off of the motorcycle to the cement with a hard thud.

She stared up at sky, her eyelids flickering. In the corner of her eye, she saw a group of transgenics run through the shadows toward her.

Max, Joshua, and Mole, all coming towards her with looks of concern on their faces.

"Joss! What happened? Where's Alec and Kylie?" Max asked, kneeling beside the wounded X6 teenager.

Joss coughed weakly, her voice coming in gasps "Kylie was doing Alec a favor... went to some whack rich dude's house... with a weird name. Berry..."

Max's hands stilled for a moment, "Berrisford?"

"Yeah. He caught 'em. And I, maybe you didn't notice, I took two bullets." Joss joked, then groaned as Max pressed down hard on the wound in her side.

"Shit. Mole, go get Luke, tell him Joss got shot, and we need him, fast." Luke was Terminal City's resident doctor. He was only a medic, but he was the best they had.

Mole obeyed, disappearing back into the darkness.

"You're gonna be all right Joss, hold on." Max said, pressing on her side wound with one hand, clutching the younger girl's hand with the other.

"Josh, can you put some pressure on her leg wound?" Max asked.

"Sure thing Little Fella." The big gentle dog-man immediately complied, kneeling by Joss, and putting a surprisingly gentle hand on the girl's leg. 

She still stiffened however, arching her slender back in pain.

"Sorry." Joshua said apologetically.

"It's okay. Not your fault." Joss panted, her blond curls stuck to her forehead with sweat.

"Hey, what's going on here?" The bald and potato headed Luke emerged with Mole.

"Joss got shot."

"Yeah, that I can see," Luke said, kneeling besides the wounded girl, "Here, we have to get the bleeding stopped," He pressed thick gauze pads against the wounds, "Can somebody hold these here for a second? Max, I gotta talk to you...In private."

They stepped away from the others, Max zeroing in on his worried face, "Okay, what's wrong?"

"Her wounds are pretty bad... not totally serious if we were in a hospital, but we're not. The bullet in her abdomen must've hit a couple of ribs... by the sound of her breathing, a shard of bone has probably hit a lung. The leg wound, in itself, is painful right now, but not serious at the moment. But left alone, it's not gonna heal right, and she'll be permanently lame," Luke glanced over at the pain-wracked teenager, "We need some supplies, blood, scalpels, antibiotics, pain-meds, the works. Basically, all we have is gauze, tape, band-aids, and hydrogen peroxide... that's about it."

Max's eyes tightened as she nodded slowly, "I guess I could see if Logan has any contacts..."

"Wait, come here" a voice interrupted.

It was Joss.

"I overheard your conversation. You should've went farther away, enhanced hearing, remember? Right after we escaped, Darien, the guy I escaped with, we scored some medical shit because some of the kids were with got hurt. I could call him... he could help you get Alec and Kylie out too."

Max considered it for a moment, they would get much needed medical supplies, and added team members to help free Alec and Kylie.

"Okay. How do you get a hold of 'em?" Max asked.

"Do you have a phone I could borrow? Mine got broke at Berrisford's... Had to jump out a window." she said.

Max handed her hers, and Joss rapidly dialed some numbers, and waited.

"Hey. Calling All Freaks, Calling All Freaks. This is Joss, Dari... and I got a situation in Seattle, in Terminal City, with Kylie. I need you to come here right away, and bring all the medical stuff you can...'cause I got hurt. And bring the sibs."

Joss hung up the phone, and handed it back to Max, "Got his voice mail. But he'll check it, and he'll be coming."

Max nodded, and worriedly stared at the girl. She was seemed terribly pale, growing worse by the minute. Lines were etched by her mouth as she gritted her teeth, obviously trying not to give voice to the pain she was feeling. Her eyes were tightly shut.

"Hurt bad?" Max asked.

"Nah. I should do this more often." Joss said, not bothering to open her eyes.

"I hope your boy checks his mail pretty soon."

"You and me both."


	6. Darien hits back

__

Los Angeles, California:

3:18 a.m.

Darien sighed as his dark eyes skipped over his weary band of travelers. He was uneasy, he didn't want to be responsible for all of these lives... he was terrified that he would do something wrong, screw up somewhere, and somebody would pay... but he felt obligated to take care of them.

Some of them were too young to be on their own, others, the transhumans, the ordinaries wouldn't accept. Darien had to choice but to accept the mantle of leadership.

Stormy, Kara, Chaise, Andy, Joss, and Kylie. Those were the kids he originally escaped the flames of Manticore with. Three fellow X5's- Stormy, Kara, and Chaise, two X6's Joss and Andy, and Manticore's unique experiment gone awry. Kylie. Their medium. But Darien liked Kylie, even though the girl was very naive. So when she left the group to go to Seattle, Darien sent Joss to shadow her, fearing for his naive friend. Because the medium had no battle training, unlike X-series. 

On that note...

He picked up his cell phone and was surprised and worried to see that he had one message. He pushed play and Joss's voice filled his ear. It was uncommonly weak. Strange for Joss, who usually had the energy of a puppy on caffeine. 

"Hey. Calling All Freaks, Calling All Freaks. This is Joss, Dari... and I got a situation in Seattle, in Terminal City, with Kylie. I need you to come here right away, and bring all the medical stuff you can...'cause I got hurt. And bring the sibs."

Darien stared off into the distance for a moment. This was definitely not good. Joss sounded hurt, bad. He walked over to where Stormy was sleeping, and shook her, carefully, not wanting to get hit, but quickly.

"Huh? What?" she snapped, as she lunged to her feet, her shoulder-length black hair falling into her face.

"We have a situation." Darien said, and he explained, hurriedly.

"Damn." she replied.

"Do you think Angie will watch the younger kids why the rest of us go?" Angie was a three-month pregnant X5. 

"Yeah. Who do you want me to get?"

"Kara, Chaise, Andy, Jordan, Will, Sean, Gabby, Lauren, Andrea, Katie, Roman, Lem, Ally, Cass, and J.T., ones I know we can trust in a fight." Darien said.

Stormy frowned, "We going to war?" 

"Dunno. Joss's been hurt, and I don't know what's up with Kylie. I want to have support. If it's overkill, so be it. Better to be safe than sorry."

She nodded, and disappeared into the night, presumably to wake the others. Some, Darien knew, would still be awake. Jordan would be, and Will...

"Joss, Kylie, what have you guys got yourselves into?" Darien muttered.

He flipped the phone back open, checked the last number dialed. It wasn't Joss's cell. He called, and waited...

******************************************************************************

Max was sitting by Joss, and wiping off the feverish X6's forehead, when her phone rang. She sat the washcloth down in the bowl of water, and grabbed the cell, "Go for Max."

"Who the hell is this?"

Max frowned, "'Excuse me?"

"Where's Joss?"

"Oh. Are you Darien?"

There was a pause, "Again, who is this?"

This guy was starting to remind her of Logan. Paranoid.

"My name is Max. I'm at Terminal City. Joss is right here, but she's got a fever, so I don't know if she'll make any sense... hold on."

Max knelt by the wounded girl, "Hey Joss," she shook her shoulder gently, "Joss."

Her jade green eyes, glassy with fever, opened slowly, "Huh?"

"Darien's on the phone...at least I think it's Darien." Max handed her the phone.

Joss blinked, as if trying to clear her head, "Hello."

She listened for a minute, and a wry, if loving smile crossed her sweaty, pain wrinkled face, "Well, I love you too Dari."

"What happened... well, we were helping a brother, and some assholes decided to shoot at me... and they took Kylie and Alec."

She sighed, "Alec is the guy we were helping. He's an X5."

"Yeah, I know I was supposed to make her lay low. But the only way I could make Kylie do that was to lock her in a closet." 

"Yes, we know where they are. Some rich guy named Robert Berrisford. Yeah... okay, see you then."

She hung up the phone, handed it back to Max, and let her head sink back on her pillow.

"He's coming. And he's bringing medical supplies and reinforcements."

"How many?" Max asked.

"Sixteen, X5's and X6's." Joss said.

"Wow."

"Yeah."


	7. Telling the Tale

Alec and Kylie/Rachel were taken to separate rooms.

Robert Barrisford came into Alec's, his face hard and set.

Alec stared at him, blinking past the blood that had dried on his face from his head wound. Like last time, he was tightly bound to a chair.

Can't do anything original, he thought.

Barrisford walked over until he was standing directly in front of Alec. He stood there for a moment, then delivered a hard slap across Alec's face.

"What were you doing in my daughter's room?" Barrisford's eyes were glistening with anger.

Alec remained silent.

"Answer me!"

"No matter. Guess what? I have a surprise for you," Barrisford sat down on an adjacent chair, "When your former home, _my _former subcontractor Manticore has burned to the ground, and all you little mutants escaped, it got me thinking. Why don't I reopen Mercidyne, and pick up where Manticore left off? I still have the data, and when all of you freaks starting popping up here in Seattle, it only strengthened my idea." 

Alec knew outwardly he looked calm, but on the inside, he was panicking. What had he just done?

"And now," Barrisford leaned forward, "I have you, and your little friend in the next room as subjects. The other one got away, but," he put a finger to his lips, "Now that I thought about it, I'm sure she'll send someone to rescue you. So . . . more transgenics for me."

Alec swallowed hard, he knew that Barrisford was all too right. Joss would go back to Terminal City, and Max would try to launch a rescue attempt.

And get herself captured in the process.

******************************************************************************

Darien rode his Ducati at a breakneck pace, even though his mind wasn't on driving.

His thoughts were far away. What had Kylie gotten herself into? With an X5 named Alec.

Darien sighed, his dark brown eyes narrowing, and unconsciously he leaned forward as if trying to make the motorcycle go faster.

Jordan pulled up beside him, her long mane of silky jet black hair flying behind her.

"So . . . do you have a plan?" she yelled.

Darien shook his head, "No, I'm making this up as I go!"

She laughed, her almond-shaped brown eyes twinkling, "Aye, aye Captain."

******************************************************************************

Max paced, every few seconds, glancing over at Joss pain-wracked form huddled on a bed that they had procured for her. Much more comfortable than the cots everyone else slept on.

Not that the poor girl _could _get comfortable, she thought. Her fever, already high, was rising, she was in considerable pain, and was terribly weak from blood loss.

Max stopped pacing to wipe off the girl's forehead again with cold water. She moaned softly.

"I'm sorry Joss." Max said quietly, although the girl didn't hear her.

Logan suddenly appeared from the shadows, "You're doing all you can, Max."

She didn't answer, just wrung the rag out tightly, and wiped Joss's face again.

"She's gonna be okay. You guys are made out of strong stuff." Logan said.

"I hope so . . . damn it, where is this Darien of hers? She's dying Logan!" 

Logan sighed, "Well, they had to come from L.A.? They probably won't make it for two days, tomorrow at the latest."

Max wanted to scream, and was about to voice her nervous frustration when she heard a glorious sound outside the gates.

The familiar rumbles of motorcycle engines.

"That must be them! Thank god!" Max bolted for the fence.

******************************************************************************

Darien quickly followed the other female X5, Max, he thought, to where Joss was lying on a bed, unconscious, her pretty face pinched with pain. 

Max turned and said something to a man who was standing nearby, and he disappeared.

"What?" Darien asked.

"I told him to go get our resident medic, Luke, and some guys to carry the stretcher. Luke's gotta take the bullets out, now that you brought the stuff."

"Does he know how to do this?" Obviously Darien didn't want Joss in the hands of an incompetent medic.

"Yeah. He's done it before, back at Manticore. Don't worry. He's very good." Max assured him.

After a moment, the man reappeared, with more transgenics. A potato-headed guy, a tall, broad-shouldered dog-like man, and a lizard guy with a cigar.

Trans-humans, Darien thought.

The potato-headed guy came over to him, "Are you Darien?"

He nodded.

"I'm Luke. Did you bring the medical equipment?"

"Yeah," he whistled, and Jordan, Stormy, and Chaise lugged the various stuff over.

"Okay. This is great. Thanks." Luke selected a vial of morphine and a syringe and carefully injected it into Joss's elbow. Watching him, Darien's fears slowly began to ease. The guy was a very good medic.

"Okay. I have to get those bullets out of her now. While I do, Max can explain the situation, and when I'm finished, I'll come get you," he turned around, "Joshua, Mole, can you lift her, carefully, on the stretcher? Don't jar anything."

Darien was surprised, they were very gentle as they moved his sister. 

The big dog-man kneeled by the stretcher, "It'll be okay Joss. Luke will take good care of you."

"Yeah I will, Joshua. Now let's go."

Darien watched as the three of them, and Joss on the stretcher, vanished into the darkness.

******************************************************************************

Max bit her lower lip nervously as they carried Joss away. She had become fond of the girl, and would be devastated if she didn't make it.

She turned back to Darien, who was now staring at the ground.

He was, predictably, handsome, with olive-toned skin, longish black hair, and dark eyes. 

She swallowed, "Well, I guess we really haven't been introduced. I'm Max."

He looked up, "Darien. So . . . you're the one that torched Manticore, huh?"

Max nodded, and braced herself for a possible tongue lashing. She had received a few of those . . . 

Like from her clone, Sam. She had hated Max with a passion, accused her of simply running away when things got tough.

But unexpectedly, he grinned, revealing startlingly even white teeth, and dimples, "Thanks. I'd been trying to bust outta that place for years."

Max returned the grin.

"So let me introduce you to the crew I brought with me. There's Chaise, Kara, Jordan, Gabby, Will, Sean, Lauren, Ally, Roman, Lem, J.T., Katie, Andy, Cass, and Andrea."

"So Joss told me you guys are all X5's and X6's?" Max asked.

"Not quite. We have one IT concentrate . . . Andrea." Darien said, and motioned for the girl to come forward.

"I know an IT. His name was Brain." Max said softly. Brain had, unfortunately, been fatally shot.

"Brain was in my group at Manticore." Andrea said as she finally broke free of the crowd. She was a tall, slender girl, with curly sandy colored hair, wide blue eyes, and full lips.

"So you got any statistics for us?" Max lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't have all of the data, but . . . this Barrisford man probably knows we're coming, he'll have lots of guards and firepower. So any rescue attempt has a 65% fail rate," she grimaced apologetically, "Sorry."

Another female voice from the crowd said wryly, "Those sounds like great odds."

Max watched as a tall, slender girl came emerged. She was pretty, with a silken curtain of long jet black hair, olive-toned skin, and almond eyes.

"Hi, I'm Jordan . . . and you're Max?" 

"Yeah." 

Jordan dug out a pack of cigarettes, and shook one out, then paused, "You mind if I smoke?"

"No. But you know those things will kill you." Max said.

Jordan lit up, inhaled, then jerked a thumb at the hazard signs posted on the gates of Terminal City, "You live in a toxic waste cite, and you're warning me about my health habits?" she gave a low chuckle.

Max grinned, "Yeah, but it doesn't hurt us."

Jordan shrugged, "Well, we all gotta go sometime," she let out a small plume of smoke, "You want to fill us in about this situation?"

Max swallowed, wondering what she should say. She didn't want to say anything, because if they figured it was Alec's fault, they might kick his ass if they did get him and Kylie out safely.

But Darien solved her dilemma for her.

"Does this have to do with Kylie's particular talent?" he asked.

"Um . . . yeah."

Darien kicked at the dirt, "Figures."

She sighed, "Look you want the long version, or the short?"

"Long's fine."

She took a long breath, "Okay. Back at Manticore, Alec was picked for a deep-cover op. The operation was close surveillance on Robert Berrisford, CEO of Mercidyne Corporation, which was one of Manticore's subcontractors. Manticore's intelligence had indicated that he had been poking his nose into their business, I guess. So, you know the procedure, they established a cover for him, he became a piano teacher named Simon Lehane for Barrisford's seventeen-year-old daughter, Rachel. Alec did what he was told, he spied on Barrisford . . . but developed a relationship with Rachel. And as time went by, it grew more intense. Alec got the information Manticore wanted, and they decided that Barrisford needed to be taken out . . . along with Rachel. To put a bomb under their car. But Alec couldn't do it, he couldn't kill the girl he had come to love, nor her father. So he told Rachel the truth, and naturally, she was horrified, and ran to get her father, who was in his car," Max swallowed hard, "Unfortunately, even though Alec hadn't planted the bomb, Manticore must've sense that he was weakening, and _they _planted one. Rachel got her father out in time, he escaped unharmed. But Rachel . . . she was knocked backwards by the force of the blast, and hit her head. It put her in a coma, and she died a few months later."

The group was silent.

Darien sighed, "You always could count on Manticore for a happy ending." 


End file.
